Asked to name a “holy grail” technology that will be the key game-changer in future air combat, USAF Chief Scientist Greg Zacharias, in a panel discussion on innovation at ASC15, said the question was akin to asking which “is my favorite child.” He said, however, that future pilots will be looking for the technologies that make them as close as possible to being “invisible, at the highest speed, and invulnerable.” The technologies of autonomy, directed energy, and hypersonics offer the greatest promise, but should be considered “holistically,” rather than in isolation, Zacharias said. They will “all contribute” to future Air Force superiority, he said.
It'll take up to 18 months for Lockheed Martin to deliver the 100 or so F-35s that went directly from production line to storage, awaiting the completion of Tech Refresh 3 testing. Customers haven't complained about the order in which the backlog is being delivered.